THE CITATION: OR, A GENEALOGY HORROR POEM

 (With apologies to Edgar Allen Poe)


Once upon a weeknight dreary, as I Googled, with eyes weary
For a site with information of forgotten ancestral lore
Suddenly I saw with terror I had made a foolish error
Such a simple obvious error that I had not seen before
"Tis just a typo," I muttered "that I did not see before,
Only this and nothing more."

But I could not remember , was it May or in December
When I'd found the  information that my family tree now bore?
Where did I find this aberration? Where oh where was my citation 
I searched and hunted in vexation, as the clock tolled three, then four.
Searching through sites and gedcoms til my eyes were red and sore:
"It's a typo, nothing more!"

And  the sad uncertain clicking of my mouse as I was checking
Thrilled me-filled me with frustration that I knew I 'd felt before,
So my head I started beating on my desk , each time repeating,
Sound advice that I was needing, "Cite your sources first before
You move on to your next reading, do them right, not like before,
And you'll have problems nevermore!"